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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · wake · tear · suit · chest · last · firm · rash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chest — of your body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — a series
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — a trail
  9. last — finally
  10. firm — a company
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — steady
  20. chip — to eat
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. firm — decided
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com